Operating means

ABSTRACT

Operating means comprise an air cylinder and a hydraulic cylinder mounted in axial alignment. A rod passes through both cylinders, and a piston in the air cylinder is mounted on the rod. A hollow member which is positioned about the rod passes through the hydraulic cylinder and extends from the ends thereof, and a piston in the hydraulic cylinder is mounted on the hollow member and divides the interior of the hydraulic cylinder into first and second chambers. First and second axially adjustable engagement members are mounted on the rod to engage the ends of the hollow member upon movement of the rod in opposite respective directions, whereby movement of the piston in the air cylinder is accompanied by movement of the piston in the hydraulic cylinder. The first and second chambers of the hydraulic cylinder are connected by first and second passageways, each of which is provided with a non-return valve and a flow rate controlling valve. The non-return valves are biased in opposite respective senses. Thus, movement of the piston in the hydraulic cylinder is controlled in both directions, by the flow rate controlling valves respectively.

This invention relates to operating means and has been devisedparticularly though not solely for use in operating a drill.

Drills at present available have the disadvantage that they aregenerally, particularly when of a relatively small size, hand-operatedand this means that where a large number of consecutive performances ofa similar drilling operation are to be performed, much effort isexpended in operating the drill. Attempts to provide automatic controlfor drills have resulted in drills which are complex and thereforeexpensive. Furthermore such drills have a high energy comsumption rate.Thus when compressed air, for example, is used to drive the drill largevolumes of air must be provided. This and also inherent clumsiness ofthe machines to operate make such machines disadvantageous.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide operatingmeans which will obviate or minimise the foregoing disadvantages in asimple yet effective manner or which will at least provide the publicwith a useful choice.

Accordingly the invention consists in a drill including a drill shaftmounting a drill chuck, a support member rotatably mounted on said drillshaft in a manner such that movement of said support member in adirection substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidsupport member is substantially prevented, said support member carryinga motor and drive means being provided between said motor and saidshaft.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, manychanges in construction and widely differing embodiments andapplications of the invention will suggest themselves without departingfrom the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Thedisclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and arenot intended to be in any sense limiting.

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation partly in cross section of adrill including operating means according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a part of operating meansaccording to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic lay out of a valve for controlling theoperation of the operating means according to the invention,

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic cross sectional elevation of a valvearrangement for operating means according to the invention, and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the part shown in FIG. 2, illustratingfurther features thereof.

In the preferred form of the invention a drill 1 is provided but theoperating means are of course applicable to tapping machines, indexingapparatus and other mechanically operated devices.

The operating means include an air cylinder 2 and a hydraulic cylinder3, the hydraulic cylinder 3 being mounted axially in line with the aircylinder 2.

A rod 4 passes through both cylinders and the rod 4 may comprise a lowerpart 5 passing through the cylinder 2 and an upper part 6 passingthrough the hydraulic cylinder the parts being formed separately andjoined by a male screw threaded part 7 on the upper rod 6 engaging afemale screw threaded part 8 on the lower rod.

Suitable seals 9 are provided at the entry and exit points from eachcylinder.

An air cylinder piston 10 is fixed to the rod 4 within the cylinder 2and the piston may comprise a pair of spaced apart plates 11 and 12separated by a spacer 13 with a sealing gasket or ring 14 fixed therein.

The plates 11 and 12 may be held by locating annular members 15 and 16fixed to the shaft 4, for example by pins or by circlips such as at 17.

Thus a movement of the piston 10 will cause a corresponding movement ofthe rod 4.

A hollow member such as tube 20 is provided about the rod 4 where therod 4 passes through the upper or hydraulic cylinder 3 and againsuitable seals are provided where the rod passes through the walls ofthe cylinder 3. A hydraulic piston 21 is fitted to the tube 20 andsuitable seals positioned as at 22 such as an O ring.

Engagement means are provided so that when movement of the air piston 10causes a corresponding movement of the rod 4 the engagement means willcause a movement of the tube 20 and preferably the engagement means arearranged such that the rod 4 may move predetermined distances beforecausing a movement of the tube 20 to be made.

In order to achieve this a threaded portion 23 at the upper end of therod is provided and a nut 25 is provided.

The diameter of the nut 25 is such that the upper end 27 of the tube 20will engage the nut when the tube 20 moves a sufficient distance.

The distance of the down stroke is controlled by movement of nut 110,which is formed with a cup to accommodate the nut 25 if necessary.

A collar 26 is also provided on threaded part 24 of the rod 4 the use ofwhich will be described later herein.

When upward movement of the rod 4 occurs, the tube 20 will not moveuntil the collar 26 engages the lower end 28 of the tube. When thereverse occurs downward movement of the rod 4 will take place until thenut 25 engages the surface 27 of the tube 20 before downward movement ofthe piston 21 again occurs within the cylinder 3.

By adjusting the position of the nut 25 and the collar 26 the range ofmovement through which the rod 4 will pass before engagement of the nut25 and the collar 26 with the upper and lower ends respectively of thetube 20 can be varied.

Hydraulic cylinder 3 provides damping and this may be achieved byproviding pipes in the form of apertures through the wall of thecylinder. Thus, FIG. 2 illustrates an arrangement wherein there is afluid path connecting the ends of the cylinder and having a fluid inlet30 and a fluid outlet 31. In the machine itself two such paths areprovided as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 5.

Thus as the piston 21 rises fluid will be forced through outlet 31 andpassed through a chamber 32.

A non return valve is then provided which may comprise for example aspring 33 mounting a ball 34 which rests against a shoulder such asshoulder 35.

The passageway continues as at 36 to eventually link with the inlet 30.

Thus as the piston 21 rises fluid will pass to the chamber 32 forcingthe ball 34 from the seat 35 and allowing the fluid to pass to the inlet30 thus placing the fluid in the opposite end of the hydraulic cylinder.

The flow rate through the channels between the ends of the cylinder maybe controlled by providing that the outlet 31 passes to a taperedchamber into which a tapered screw 36 is provided such that by rotatingthe handle 37 a screw may move inwardly or outwardly thus varying theeffective aperture size in the tapered passageway. O rings or otherseals are provided as necessary between moving surfaces.

The other passageway has the non return valve reversed in direction sothat the flow rate of the fluid in the passageways in each direction maybe independently controlled. This provides speed control for the drillin each direction.

The drill shaft 4 is engaged at the lower end 40 with a chuck 41 andalthough this engagement may be in a conventional manner, it ispreferred that this engagement is effected as follows.

The drill shaft is engaged with a support member such as a platform butpreferably comprising a hollow chamber.

On to the support platform or chamber is mounted a motor 42 such as anelectrically operated motor.

The drive shaft with the motor 43 may have a single or multiple pulleyor a series of pullies.

A belt 44 passes about the pullies and also the belt passes about afurther pulley or series of pullies mounted on the chuck 41.

Thus the chuck 41 may pass through the lower surface of the chamberbeing fixed to the chamber by means of a threaded rod 45 passing into anut 46 held on the upper surface 47 of the chamber. The rod 45 passesinto a bearing (not shown) which bearing mounts the pulley and thus thechuck 41.

The chuck 41 is rigidly mounted on the pulley 48.

The hollow member on the lower surface thereof has an aperture 53provided therein through which a support shaft 54 arising from a drillstand 55 may pass and a collar 56 is preferably provided on the uppersurface of the chamber, the support shaft 54 passing through the collar56 and there being for example a brass bush or other bearings 57positioned between the shaft and the collar.

The cylinder arrangement or operating means of the drill is affixed tothe shaft 54 for example by a clip or clamp at 58 passing around theshaft 54 which may be tightened by a screw or bolt indicated at 59.

Thus when the rod 4 is raised or lowered the hollow member will be movedupwardly or downwardly by the shaft 4.

In order to balance the forces applied to the hollow member duringshifting or lowering thereof an auxiliary cylinder 60 may be providedhaving a piston 61 therein affixed to a shaft 62 the shaft 62 beingengaged with the upper part 47 of the hollow member for example by a nut63 on a screw threaded part 64 of the upper surface 47.

The arrangement there is therefore such that movement of the supportmember in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe drill shaft is substantially prevented and thus as the shaft israised or lowered, the motor 42 will also be raised or lowered.

The control means for the motor controls (not shown) may also be andpreferably are mounted on the hollow member.

Of course the pulley arrangement shown may be replaced by cogs or chainsor any other suitable constructions.

Valve means may be provided to control the air flow in the drillalthough of course it is envisaged that such valves may have othersimilar operations and uses.

The valve includes a body having an inlet port 70 thereto and a pair ofoutlet ports 71 and 72 therefrom.

The valve body 73 has a float channel 74 therein and a float 75 ispositioned within the channel.

The float may take the form of a piston having O rings 76 and 77thereon. The O rings are positioned such that when the float 75 is atone end of the float channel one O ring i.e. O ring 76 will close thepath to outlet 72 and with the float at the other end of the floatchannel 74 the O ring 77 will close the path to the other oulet 71.Exhaust ports 120 and 121 are provided and O rings 76 and 77 also closethe path to one of the exhaust ports 120 or 121.

To enable the O rings to slide over ports 71, 72, 73, 120 and 121 theseare made by providing a plurality of small apertures in to the floatchamber as shown in FIG. 4.

In order to control the movement of the float control means are providedto move the float in the float channel and the control means areoperable to supply liquid or gas for example air from the air inlet 70to the end 78 and 79 of the float channel.

Thus the float is in the form of a rod having circumferential groovesthereabout there being four such circumferential grooves and each groovemay have an O ring therein. O rings 76 and 77 are positioned as abovedescribed and O rings 124 and 125 provide seals to form chambers at ends78 and 79 of the float chamber 74.

Air is supplied to the ends of the float channel through passageways 80and 81 and valves are provided in each passageway.

Thus operating a selected valve the float 75 may be pushed to one end orthe other of the float channel where it is stopped by contact witheither of pins 126 and 127.

The members operating the valve closure may be manually or automaticallyoperated but preferably arrangements are made for each method ofoperating the valve.

Thus in one method an arrangement as shown in FIG. 3 may be providedwherein the valve body indicated at 73 has a main air supply line 90 fedfrom a main air supply valve 91.

The main air comes in through inlet line 92 to the main air supply valvewhich when operated supplies air to inlet 70 and also primes theremaining valves by priming a single down valve 93 through line 94. Thesingle down valve primes an auto down valve 95 through line 96. The autodown valve 95 primes an auto up valve 97 through line 98 and the auto upvalve 97 primes a single or emergency up valve 99 through line 100. Whenauto up valve 97 is operated then a top control valve 101 is primedthrough line 102.

The valves may comprise mechanical valves. When the single down valve isoperated air is supplied to the end 78 of the body 73 through port 80and line 105 thus pushing the piston 75 to the end 79 and allowing airto pass through port 72 and line 122 to the top end of the cylinders 3and 60. And at the same time allow exhaust air to pass through line 107to port 71 and exhaust port 120.

The piston is then moved downwardly in the cylinder.

By then operating the single or emergency up valve 99 the air issupplied through line 106 to the lower end 79 of the body 73 moving thepiston 75 to the end 78 of the body and retracting the pistons in thecylinders 3 and 60 as air is supplied to the bottom end of thosecylinders through line 107. Air is also exhausted from the top end ofcylinders 3 and 60 through line 122, port 72 and exhaust port 121. Ifthe auto up valve 97 is operated top control valve 101 is primed and atthe desired end of the stroke of pistons 3 and 60 the top valve 101 isoperated. This valve 101 may comprise a poppet valve 108 (FIG. 1) whichis operated by a lever 109 which is moved downwardly for example byengagement of a nut 110 the position of which may be varied by providinga screw thread therein such that the nut 110 may be adjusted as toposition by rotating on the thread 23.

When the poppet 108 is depressed a ball 111 is depressed against springaction 112 thus passing air from inlet 113 to outlet 114.

Operation of the top control passes air to the bottom end 79 of thefloat chamber thus causing ultimately the piston in cylinders 3 and 60to be retracted.

If the auto down valve 95 is operated air is supplied to the top end 78of the float chamber through line 127 and ultimately the pistons in thecylinders 3 and 60 are moved downwardly.

When the stroke has finished the pistons in cylinders 3 and 60 arereturned either by operation of the top control valve or by operation ofthe single up valve.

The valve 95 when operated primes a poppet valve (not shown) situated inthe upper end 78 of the valve body or in line 127 and when collar 26strikes the poppet air is allowed to pass the poppet to enter upper end78 of the float chamber. Thus when the auto down valve 95 has beenoperated the collar 26 will operate the poppet valve at each up strokeso that the action continues.

Alternatively the automatic operation can be continued by providing acontinuous air supply to each end of the float chamber such thatmechanical opening of the valve at one end will cause the valve to beopened briefly to cause the valve to move to the other end of thecylinder whereupon the drill shaft will move in the opposite directionto continue operation.

If air supply is not continued at one end of the valve only operation ofthe device will occur.

The invention may be used in a drill having a drill shaft which ismounted on a support shaft. The drill shaft may have a support membersuch as a platform mounted thereon in a manner such that the drill shaftmay rotate in the platform but so that longitudinal movement of theplatform relative to the drill shaft is provided. The platform carries amotor to drive the drill shaft, for example, an electric motor, and mayalso carry control means such as a switch thereon. The drive between themotor and the drill shaft may be by means of pulleys or cogs mounted onthe drill shaft and the motor drive shaft and a belt or chain betweenthe pulleys or cogs, and, for example, a plurality of different sizedpulleys or cogs may be provided such that a range of speeds may beprovided.

The platform may also have a further aperture therein so that it may befitted in a manner such that the support shaft passes through theplatform so as to provide further rigidity for the construction. Asuitable bush, such as a brass bush is provided in the aperture.

Thus the motor rises and falls with the operation of the drill shaftwhich is advantageous as the drive mechanism is thus simplified.

The use of the invention in the preferred form is as follows.

The operating means is used as follows.

It will be assumed that the operating means is being used on a drill andthat the chuck of the drill is initially in the withdrawn position. Airis then applied to the upper end of the air cylinder which forces theair piston downwardly drawing the rod with it. The nut on the upperthreaded part of the rod after a predetermined fall of the rod will thenengage the upper end of the tube causing the tube to move downwardly.When the tube is engaged and begins moving movement of the rod will bechecked by the hydraulic fluid contained beneath the hydraulic piston.As the hydraulic piston moves downwardly, the hydraulic fluid is forcedthrough a pipe to the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder and the flowrate in the pipe may be controlled by varying the orifice therein.

When it is desired to retract the drill, air is supplied to the lowerend of the air cylinder causing the rod to move upwardly such that a nuton the lower threaded part of the rod engages the bottom of the tubecausing the tube and consequently the hydraulic piston to move upwardlyforcing hydraulic fluid to move from the upper end of the hydrauliccylinder through the pipe to the lower end thereof. It is an advantageof the invention that the rate of checking may be controlled bycontrolling the flow rates in the pipes connecting the ends of thehydraulic cylinder.

The valve which it is also assumed is being used on the drill isoperated by supplying air to the main air inlet where it becomesavailable to one of the outlets, being the outlet not closed by thefloat. If it is desired to supply air to the other outlet, the controlmeans is operated so that a supply of air is provided to the float tomove the float to its other position thus making air available to theother outlet. If it is desired to work the device automatically, air issupplied to each end continuously of the valve but is prevented fromreaching the float channels by means of a valve. Thus the valve may beopened by being struck by an object such as a detent on the drill shaftor the like to reverse the position of the float, thus causing the drillshaft to move in the other direction.

For a one shot operation, air is not supplied continuously, for example,to the upper end of the body and when it is desired to close the machinedown the air can be removed from the lower end of the body.

The single up and single down valves allow air to be supplied quickly toeither end of the float channel and this is particularly advantageous atthe lower end where the single up valve may provide an emergencyretraction of the drill.

It is a particular advantage of the operating means that variable speedsof the drill may be provided simply and also that a rapid retraction isprovided as a safety feature. Also as the hydraulic cylinder is mountedabove the air cylinder, the construction is relatively simple and can beproduced at a price which is, to say the least, competitive.

I claim:
 1. Operating means comprising an air cylinder and a hydrauliccylinder, said air cylinder and hydraulic cylinder being mounted suchthat the longitudinal axes thereof lie on substantially the same line, arod-like member passing through both cylinders, a piston in said aircylinder mounted on said rod-like member, a hollow member passingthrough said hydraulic cylinder and extending from the ends thereof,said hollow member being positioned about said rod-like member, a pistonin said hydraulic cylinder mounted on said hollow member and dividingthe interior of said hydraulic cylinder into first and second chambers,axially adjustable first engagement means between said rod-like memberand said hollow member such that movement of the piston in said aircylinder in the direction away from said hydraulic cylinder causes saidrod-like member to move a distance predetermined by the position of saidfirst engagement means on said rod-like member before said engagementmeans engages the end of said hollow member that is further from saidair cylinder to thereby cause said hollow member to move said piston insaid hydraulic cylinder, second axially adjustable engagement meanspositioned on said rod-like member between said hollow member and saidair cylinder such that movement of the piston in said air cylinder inthe direction toward said hydraulic cylinder causes said rod-like memberto move through a distance predetermined by the position of said secondengagement means on said rod-like member before said second engagementmeans engages the end of said hollow member that is nearer said aircylinder to thereby cause said hollow member to move said piston in saidhydraulic cylinder, means defining a first passageway extendingexternally of said hydraulic cylinder and connecting the first andsecond chambers of said hydraulic cylinder and having therein anon-return valve to prevent flow from the second chamber to the firstchamber and a flow rate controlling valve such that the flow rate ofhydraulic fluid through said first passageway may be varied, meansdefining a second passageway extending externally of said hydrauliccylinder and connecting the second and first chambers of said hydrauliccylinder and having a non-return valve therein to substantially preventfluid flow from the first chamber to the second chamber and a flow ratecontrolling valve therein whereby the flow rate through said secondpassageway may be controlled, and a stop for limiting the extent towhich movement of said rod-like member in the direction from thehydraulic cylinder towards the air cylinder may occur, said stopcomprising a substantially cup-shaped threaded nut engageable ontothreads on said rod-like member, the diameter of the cup being of a sizeso that the rim of said cup may engage on parts of said operating meansadjacent said hydraulic cylinder, encompassing if necessary said firstengagement means.
 2. Operating means as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidhydraulic cylinder is positioned vertically above said air cylinder. 3.Operating means as claimed in claim 1, including a valve comprising abody, an inlet port thereto, two outlet ports therefrom connected tosaid air cylinder on respective opposite sides of the piston therein, afloat movable between two end positions in each of which said floatcloses one of said outlet ports with respect to the inlet port, andcontrol means to move said float, said control means being operable tosupply liquid or gas to the desired end of said float to move said floatto the other said end position.
 4. Operating means as claimed in claim3, wherein said float moves in a float channel and said inlet port andoutlet ports connect with said channel, said channel being opened ateach end and said control means including further ports to each end ofsaid float channel, and control valves controlling flow of liquid or gasto each said further port.
 5. Operating means as claimed in claim 4,wherein further valves are provided adapted upon operation thereof toallow air to be admitted to said float channel without passing saidcontrol valves.
 6. Operating means as claimed in claim 4, wherein saidcontrol means allow a continuous supply of air to be present at saidcontrol valves such that upon operation of said control valves air isallowed to be passed to said float channel.
 7. Operating means asclaimed in claim 8, wherein said control valves comprise mechanicalvalves.
 8. Operating means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said firstengagement means comprises a thread on said rod-like member and a nutprovided on said thread said nut being of sufficient diameter to engagethe ends of said hollow member.
 9. Operating means as claimed in claim 1wherein said second engagement means comprises a collar having athreaded aperture therethrough through which a bolt may be passed toclamp said collar to said rod-like member.